Dummies and pacifiers - BabyCentre Dummies and pacifiers I've decided I do want to use a dummy. What else do I need to know? Love them or hate them, parents have used dummies, pacifiers, comforters, or soothers for centuries. As the names suggest, parents use them to calm and settle babies and, sometimes, toddlers too. Babies are soothed by the action of sucking. You may find your baby needs to suck on something for comfort when he's awake and not feeding. As he gets older and finds other ways to soothe himself, he’ll need to do this less (Duncan et al 2008). Some parents couldn't get through the day without giving their baby a dummy, whereas other parents strongly disapprove of their use. You may decide you definitely won't use one, but change your mind when faced with your crying baby (Pansy et al 2008). What sort of dummy or pacifier is best? It may be a question of trial and error before you find a dummy that your baby will accept. Some babies refuse to take a dummy at all (Pansy et al 2008).

Most dummies come with a silicone or rubber teat, and a plastic or silicone mouth shield and handle. The mouth shield prevents your baby from choking on, or swallowing, the teat. Some brands are all one piece, so there are no joins or cracks that could come apart or harbour germs. Latex or rubber dummies are softer and more flexible than silicone, but they don't last as long. Silicone dummies may be easier to keep free from germs than latex dummies (Sexton and Natale 2009). Orthodontic dummies are flatter than traditional cherry-shaped dummies. They're shaped to encourage your baby to suck in the same way as when he's breastfeeding . These may have less of an effect on how your baby's teeth develop (BDHF 2014). See Do dummies have any disadvantages? below for more information. When could I start giving my baby a dummy? The official advice if you're breastfeeding is to wait until your baby is about a month or so old before you introduce a dummy (NHS Choices 2013a). This is so you have time to get your milk supply established if you’re breastfeeding .

Then it's really up to you when and if you use a dummy. Many parents use a dummy during the first six months to help settle their baby to sleep at night , and for naps during the day . Some parents use a dummy in the first six months because they've heard it may help to reduce the risk of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) (The Lullaby Trust nd). However, the evidence for this is not strong (Blair et al 2009, Hauck and Tanabe 2009, NHS Choices 2013a, b). It's best if you try to wean your baby off his dummy when he's between six months and 12 months old (NHS Choices 2013a). There are disadvantages to letting him have a dummy for longer (see below). Will using a dummy interfere with breastfeeding? It may do for some mums and babies. Official guidance is that it's best not to give your baby a dummy until you've established breastfeeding , which is usually by the time your baby is about a month old (NHS Choices 2013a, Scottish DH 2011).

If your baby uses a dummy, he may not remember how to attach to your breast afterwards. Also, using a dummy early on could interfere with how much time your baby spends sucking at your breast (Unicef and DH 2010). Your milk supply increases with demand, so the more you feed your baby, the more milk your body makes. It’s possible that a dummy could interfere with this. Using a dummy has been linked to earlier weaning off the breast , and breastfeeding exclusively for a shorter time. However, experts have found that if you’re keen to breastfeed, it's unlikely that using a dummy would affect breastfeeding (Goldman 2013, Jaafar et al 2012). Dummy use itself may not cause breastfeeding problems. But if you are already struggling with breastfeeding , you may find that you rely more on a dummy. Or you may use a dummy because you've already decided to stop breastfeeding (Sexton and Natale 2009, O', Connor et al 2009). What are the advantages of using a dummy? A dummy may soothe your baby or help him settle to sleep (Goldman 2013, Nelson 2012).

The act of sucking can relieve pain (Sexton and Natale 2009). For example, it may help your baby if he sucks on a dummy when he's having his immunisations (APA 2008, Riddell et al 2011). A dummy may help if your baby is premature . If he's given a dummy to suck on before feeds, he may adapt more quickly from tube-feeding to bottle-feeding (Pinelli and Symington 2005). He may also be calmer and settle more easily before and after his feeds. Premature babies who are given a dummy also have shorter hospital stays (Pinelli and Symington 2005). An alternative to using a dummy is to express your milk , and then encourage your baby to strengthen his suck on your emptied breast (WHO 2006: 85). Read about breastfeeding your premature baby . What are the disadvantages of using a dummy?

Using a dummy for long periods can result in repeated middle ear infections (NICE 2009, Salah et al 2013, Sexton and Natale 2009): Sucking may channel bacteria from your baby's mouth into the narrow tubes between his ears and throat (Eustachian tubes). If your baby uses a dummy a lot, it may affect the structure of his mouth, which may mean mucus doesn’t drain as well along his Eustachian tubes (Sexton and Natale 2009). Limiting the amount of time your baby uses his dummy will guard against ear problems. If you only let him use it to settle himself to sleep , it can make a big difference to the number of ear infections your baby gets (Nelson 2012, Sexton and Natale 2009). The longer your baby uses a dummy, the more likely it is to change the way his teeth grow. This can result in an overbite or crossbite, where the top and bottom teeth don't meet properly (Nelson 2012, NHS Choices 2013c).

You may notice this if your child uses his dummy beyond two years or three years old (Nelson 2012, Sexton and Natale 2009). The worst effects are usually seen in children who use a dummy for four years or more (Sexton and Natale 2009). The same goes for thumb-sucking , though. The British Dental Health Foundation recommends parents avoid the use of dummies and discourage their baby from sucking his thumb (BDHF 2014). Using a dummy for long periods can make it harder for your baby to try to talk to you or make sounds. Your baby's speech development is another reason why it's best to limit using a dummy to when he's trying to get to sleep (NHS 2013c, d). Will using a dummy help prevent SIDS? A dummy may help to prevent SIDS , but the evidence for this is not strong (Blair et al 2009, Hauck and Tanabe 2009, NHS Choices 2013a, b).

If you choose to use a dummy for this reason, don't worry if it falls out while your baby is asleep (The Lullaby Trust nd). Don't encourage your baby to take a dummy if he doesn't want one (The Lullaby Trust nd). There are other, proven ways to help your baby sleep safely . Your baby's room temperature, putting your baby to sleep on his back , and not smoking , are important in preventing SIDS (Blair et al 2009, Hauck and Tanabe 2009, NHS Choices 2013b). I've decided I do want to use a dummy. What else do I need to know? Dummies can give you a break when your baby's distressed. If you decide that it's best for everyone if your baby has a dummy, here are a few tips: Use an orthodontic or flat dummy (BDHF 2014). There is some slight evidence that it may be better for your baby's developing mouth than a cherry dummy (Sexton and Natale 2009). Keep the dummy as clean as possible. Sterilise it as you would any other bottle-feeding teat.

Silicone dummies (Sexton and Natale 2009), or dummies that are all one piece, may be easier to keep free of bugs. Check dummies regularly. Cracks, splits and holes can trap germs. If you find any problems, buy a new dummy straight away. Never dip the dummy in sweet foods. Don't coat your baby's dummy in foods such as honey or juice to stop him crying (BDHF 2014). Honey can harm your baby, and sticky, sweet food and drink can cause tooth decay . Wait until your baby really needs a dummy . For example, if your baby is crying inconsolably, or you want to settle him . Try not to let his dummy use become a habit. Wean your baby off his dummy before he turns one year old (NHS Choices 2013a). It will be easier to do it then, than when he's older. To avoid your baby developing an overbite or crossbite, it's best to stop before the age of two years old, and definitely before he's four years old (Nelson 2012, Sexton and Natale 2009).

See what our expert has to say about the dummy vs thumb debate, and discover how to wean your baby off his dummy when it's time. Last reviewed: April 2014 References APA. 2008. Good practice in postoperative and procedural pain. Association of Paediatric Anaesthetists. [pdf file, accessed February 2014] BDHF. 2014. Dental care for mothers and babies. British Dental Health Foundation [Accessed February 2014] Blair PS, Sidebotham P, Evason-Coombe C, et al. 2009. Hazardous cosleeping environments and risk factors amenable to change: case-control study of SIDS in south west England. BMJ 339:b3666 [pdf file, accessed February 2014] Duncan K, McNamara C, Ireland AJ, et al. 2008. Sucking habits in childhood and the effects on the primary dentition: findings of the Avon Longitudinal Study of Pregnancy and Childhood. Int J Paediatr Dent 18(3):178-88 Goldman RD. 2013.

Pacifier use in the first month of life. Can Fam Physician 59(5):499-500 Hauck FR, Tanabe KO. 2009. SIDS. Clinical Evidence online: 05 Jun Jaafar SH, Jahanfar S, Angolkar M, et al. 2012. Effect of restricted pacifier use in breastfeeding term infants for increasing duration of breastfeeding. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews (7):CD007202 onlinelibrary.wiley.com [pdf file, accessed November 2013] Kair LR, Kenron D, Etheredge K, et al. 2013. Pacifier restriction and exclusive breastfeeding. Pediatrics 131(4):e1101-7 pediatrics.aappublications.org [pdf file, accessed November 2013] Nelson AM. 2012. A comprehensive review of evidence and current recommendations related to pacifier usage. J Pediatr Nurs 27(6):690-9 NHS Choices. 2013a. Getting your baby to sleep: feeding and dummies.

NHS Choices, Health A-Z. [Accessed February 2014] NHS Choices. 2013b. Sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS). NHS Choices, Health A-Z. [Accessed February 2014] NHS. 2013c. Kid's teeth: Q&A NHS Choices, Live Well. [Accessed February 2014] NHS Choices. 2013d. Helping your child's speech. NHS Choices, Health A-Z. [Accessed February 2014] NICE. 2009. Otitis media: acute. National Institute for Health and Care Excellence, Clinical Knowledge Summaries.. cks.nice.org.uk [Accessed February 2014] O'Connor NR, Tanabe KO, Siadaty MS et al. 2009. Pacifiers and breastfeeding: a systematic review. Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine 163(4):378-82 Pansy J, Zotter H, Sauseng W, et al. 2008. Pacifier use: what makes mothers change their mind?

Acta Paediatr 97(7):968-71 Pinelli J, Symington A. 2005. Non-nutritive sucking for promoting physiologic stability and nutrition in preterm infants. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews (4): CD001071 onlinelibrary.wiley.com [pdf file, accessed February 2014] Riddell RR, Racine NM, Turcotte K, et al. 2011. Non-pharmacological management of infant and young child procedural pain. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews (4): CD001071 onlinelibrary.wiley.com [pdf file, accessed February 2014] Salah M, Abdel-Aziz M, Al-Farok A, et al. 2013. Recurrent acute otitis media in infants: analysis of risk factors. Int J Pediatr Otorhinolaryngol 77(10):1665-9 Scottish DH. 2011. Reduce the risk of cot death. Scottish Department of Health.

[pdf file, accessed February 2014] Sexton S, Natale R. 2009. Risks and benefits of pacifiers. American Family Physician 79(8):681-5 [pdf file, accessed February 2014] The Lullaby Trust. nd. Using a dummy. [Accessed February 2014 ] Unicef and DH. 2010. Off to the best start: important information about feeding your baby. Department of Health. [pdf file, accessed February 2014] WHO. 2006. Optimal feeding of low-birth-weight infants: Technical Review. World Health Organization. whqlibdoc.who.int [pdf file, accessed February 2014] baby dummies | eBay baby dummies: XMAS DELIVERY! Order by 22nd for Delivery by 24th DEC** £5.99 FREEPOST - ORTHODONTIC DUMMY - BPA FREE £2.25 to £2.99 £5.99 + £3.99 postage MOUSTACHE PACIFIER BABY PACIFIERS - 360 PHOTOS INSIDE!

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Should Your Baby Use a Pacifier? Interest-Based Ads © Disney. All Rights Reserved. Content provided on this site is for entertainment or informational purposes only and should not be construed as medical or health, safety, legal or financial advice. Click here for additional information. Pacifiers: Should Your Baby Use Them? Deborah Bohn On the East Coast it’s a binky. Southerners call it a paci. British babies use a dummy. Some folks even call it a plug. But no matter what you call a pacifier, you’ve undoubtedly heard an earful of conflicting information about using one. Many experts recommend using them to calm colicky babies while others insist they only serve to harbor bacteria and misalign teeth. How can a little plastic and rubber device soothe your crying baby while dooming him to braces? Can a pacifier actually cause ear infections and prevent SIDS at the same time? Your mother-in-law says it’s a crutch, but all your friends say it’s a lifesaver. Pacifiers: Should your baby use them? Satisfying Baby’s Need to Suck The one thing everyone can agree upon is the newborn’s need to suck.

“Infants are hardwired to need and enjoy sucking as a separate experience from feeding,” says Dr. Alan Greene, MD, FAAP. This sucking instinct is so hardwired that babies are often seen sucking their thumbs in the womb during routine ultrasounds. Why they enjoy sucking so much is unknown, but any mother who has experienced a 45-minute breastfeeding marathon or any dad who’s had the pad of his pinky rubbed raw by the vacuum power of a two-week-old baby knows that nothing delights an infant more than something in his mouth. Our ancestors knew it too. Archeologists have unearthed prehistoric pacifiers made of bone, wood and smooth stone. Ancient Egyptian drawings appear to show babies using pacifiers. And the Athabascan women of Alaska, relatives of modern day Inuits, used to poke a stick through a piece of animal fat and place it parallel to the baby’s face so the child could enjoy the sensation of sucking without swallowing the fat. It’s a fact; where there are babies, there are binkies.

SIDS and Pacifiers While it’s obvious that oral gratification can help keep babies and parents on an even keel, there are other benefits to letting your infant “plug in.” Several studies have shown a two- to threefold decrease of SIDS deaths among babies who use a pacifier. As explained in a recent article in Pediatrics magazine, “The hypothesis is that a pacifier protects the upper airway from becoming obstructed by the tongue.” Some scientists speculate that a pacifier keeps a baby’s nose free of bedding in order to breathe or that pacifiers keep restless babies quiet, so they are less likely to thrash around in the crib and end up underneath the bedding. The American Academy of Pediatrics even created a task force to study this phenomenon and released a report in March 2000 stating, “Four recent studies have reported a substantially lower SIDS incidence among infants who used pacifiers than among infants who do not.” Increase in Ear Infections? On the other hand, there are also studies linking pacifiers to ear infections.

For example, in a study published in Pediatrics, researchers found a 33 percent increase in ear infections in 6- to 10-month-old infants with unlimited use of a pacifier compared with those who only used one at bedtime. Doctors suspect that when a baby has a stuffy nose and sucks on a pacifier, it creates harmful pressure in the tube between the nose and the ear, increasing the likelihood of an infection. There are also conflicting studies concerning binkies and breastfeeding. Some studies link early (before four weeks of age) pacifier use to decreased breastfeeding when mothers mistakenly substitute a pacifier for the breast, while other research indicates that babies who use pacifiers exhibit less breastfeeding problems overall, perhaps because they get extra sucking practice. Effects on Teeth While SIDS, breastfeeding, and ear infections are important issues to consider, the big pacifier debate has historically been about teeth. Dentists and orthodontists warn that pacifiers and thumb sucking keep them in business fixing buck teeth and misshapen jaw lines while legions of mothers claim that their children were addicted to pacifiers with no ill effects. Why the disparity? “Every child is affected differently by pacifier usage.

The effects depend on three factors: how intensely the child sucks, how long the child sucks, and how often the child sucks,” explains pediatric dentist Dr. David Snodgrass, DDS. But he goes on to warn, “Pacifiers can be extremely detrimental to a growing face, causing the underlying skeletal structures (bones and cartilage) to grow asymmetrically. They cause the upper front teeth to intrude and protrude which can interfere with proper speech and development and can lead to a tongue thrust.” Dr. Snodgrass also dispels the common myth that pacifiers only affect baby teeth, so if your child is weaned from his binky before his permanent teeth come in, there shouldn’t be a problem. He says, “Pacifiers can harm a child’s normal growth and development causing the upper arch to be too narrow and the lower jaw joint to develop incorrectly.” With a mouth malformed as a baby, adult teeth will come in improperly too. And the cost of correcting these malformations? Anywhere from $650 to $950 for a device to correct problems in young children and possibly around $5,000 for braces later on.

Breaking up with Binky The silver lining in this cloud is that unlike a thumb, children can be weaned from a pacifier. And the sooner you do it, the better. According to the American Dental Association, “Children who continue to use pacifiers past the age of three show a higher prevalence of altered dental arches and abnormal lip and cheek mobility compared to those who never used a pacifier.” After 18 years of pediatric dentistry, Dr. Snodgrass recommends ditching the binky between 14 and 16 months of age. “We’ve found that the best way to get the children off the pacifier is to simply place every one of them in the house in a plastic freezer bag, shake them in front of the child, and tell them they are going to take them to their pediatrician (or Dr. Snodgrass) so he can give them to the little babies at the hospital. The next time the child asks for them, blame it on me.

Another way is to simply gradually cut back on the nipple size by cutting a little off each week.” (This “snipping the tip” technique worked like a charm for the author and her 22-month-old daughter.) Pacifier Pointers Take these precautions when using a pacifier: Never tie a pacifier around a baby’s neck. No matter how many times baby drops it, never put the binky on a string. It could strangle your baby in seconds. Inspect pacifiers for wear and replace them often. A baby can choke on a tiny bit of rubber sucked loose from an old binky. Don’t make homemade pacifiers out of bottle nipples. They don’t have a wide enough base to prevent inhalation and choking. They also have a hole in the end that causes your baby to suck in air, creating gas and hiccups. You wouldn’t use the same dirty fork meal after meal and day after day, so wash your baby’s pacifiers often to avoid bacteria build-up. Disregard the “three second rule” when the binky hits the floor. As clean as your floor may appear, it can harbor traces of animal feces, tar, garbage and other nasties tracked in by pets and shoes.

Never dip a pacifier in honey. Honey eaten by babies under one year can cause infant botulism—a sometimes fatal disease. Article Posted 5 years Ago Share this article Baby sleep - guide to newborn sleep | Mumsnet Offers Newborn baby sleep advice Parent plus new baby equals serious loss of sleep. It's a simple enough equation but a darn difficult one to live through. It doesn't matter how ready (or not) you think you are for motherhood, nothing, but nothing, can prepare you for the brain-numbing, bone-aching reality of new-parent sleep deprivation. Or for your sudden, all-consuming need to find answers to a million and one baby sleep-related questions. What's the best way to settle a newborn baby to sleep? How long should she sleep for? Should you let her cry or not? Is it OK for your baby to sleep in your bed ? How on earth do you get her to take a nap ? And when, oh when, will she sleep through?

Now you could turn to the dozens of baby 'sleep experts' out there, each with their own (hugely different) theories and complicated schedules for getting a baby to snooze from dusk to dawn – and, yes, they do work for some parents. But, if you're desperate for some tried-and-tested tricks that'll persuade your baby to give you a few more hours – hell, a few more minutes – in the land of Nod, we reckon the best plan is to listen to the truly (weary) wise: Mumsnetters who have been (or still are) in the same bleary-eyed boat as you. What they don't know really ain't worth losing sleep over… Sleep and your newborn baby The average newborn sleeps for 16 to 20 hours a day. But not all at once. And not all at night. It's pretty shattering for those of us who are meant to be in charge. The early weeks are worst. Your baby's doing a random, round-the-clock waking and dozing thing, and often has a distinct aversion to sleeping anywhere other than your arms. "My newborn wouldn't go to sleep on his own – only in my arms or in our bed.

If we put him down in the Moses basket, he would wake after 20 minutes at the most. I was worried this might be the start of major bad habits but now he's seven weeks and is settling much better." Katyw "My first child got her days and nights mixed up: she would sleep nearly all day and then be awake almost all night!" Pupuce If you're not having any luck with the lay-down-and-leg-it approach, try our Mumsnet tips for settling your newborn baby. Although the causes of cot death (SIDS) are still not completely clear, health experts are agreed that there are steps you can take to reduce the risk for your baby... • Put your baby on her back to sleep. • Do not let anyone smoke in the same room as your baby. • Do not let your baby get too hot or too cold. • Do not cover your baby's head while she's sleeping. • Place your baby down to sleep, so that her feet at the foot end of the cot. • Consider using a dummy to settle your baby to sleep. • Do not share a bed with your baby if you smoke. • Do not share a bed with your baby if you have been drinking or taking drugs.

• Understand that the safest place for your baby to sleep in her first six months is in a cot in your room. As the weeks pass, it does, ever so slowly, get better (honest). Your baby will gradually cotton on to the difference between night and day and, by six to eight weeks, will probably be putting in more time at the cot-face during the wee, small hours. Even the most diehard of night-time wakers are usually sleeping less in the day and more at night by 10 to 12 weeks. "My daughter was either sleeping, feeding or screaming – none of the peaceful 'surveying the world' the baby books tell you about. I found it very depressing and worried that things would never change and that I must be doing it all wrong. But she changed and at ten weeks slept though the night." Elliesmum Settling your newborn baby Frustratingly, newborns don't come equipped with a 'now go to sleep' button. While some nod off angelically at the drop of a hat, there are many who, no matter how tired they are, often need some serious parental persuasion on the closing-eyes front.

Mumsnet's top 10 sleep-persuasion tactics include... 1. Swaddling. "It saved my sanity. My daughter was far more settled when we wrapped her – you just have to be careful to make sure that they don't overheat. We used a cotton cellular blanket but, when it was really hot, we used a sheet." Sass 2. "Gently stroke your baby's nose in little downwards movements. This encourages them to close their eyes and fall asleep." Sexgoddess 3. "My son wouldn't settle if he was lying flat. We found putting him in a bouncy chair and rocking it gently worked." Dm2 4. "The spin cycle on the washing machine is very effective! Sometimes, I'd put several consecutive spins on just to lull her to drowsiness." Sass 5. "Try a lambskin. My two slept on them for years and they're so easy to take everywhere. I just put it on the floor and they'd settle straightaway." Alibubbles 6. "Keep things quiet and boring in the lead-up to bedtime and limit the number of people holding him.

I underestimated how unsettling and over-stimulating being held by visitors can be." Bloss 7. Watch the clock. "A good rule of thumb is that a newborn can't stay awake more than two hours at a time. So, if yours has been wide awake for two hours, retreat to a quiet room with little stimulation." Amber1 8. "If all else fails, put your baby in a sling. She'll almost certainly fall asleep in there, close to your body, and at least you've got your hands free to make yourself a cup of tea." Porpoise And for the baby who falls asleep beautifully in your arms but snaps awake again as soon as his head hits the sheets... 9. "Put a muslin or a blanket under him during the feed and transfer this with him, then he'll still have some of Mummy's warmth and smell with him when you put him down." Mo2 10. "Babies don't seem to like cold sheets. Use a hot water bottle to gently warm the bottom sheet of your Moses basket for a minute or two before putting your newborn down to sleep." KJ Oh and one extra (noisy) word to the wise... "Don't be quiet when your baby sleeps.

When my kids were tiny, I always saw sleep time as the perfect opportunity to get some vacuuming done. Now they sleep through almost anything. My sister, by contrast, turned down the TV and spoke in whispers and her daughter now wakes up if a floorboard squeaks." Rainbow If you're having real trouble settling your baby or have times when you just can't seem to stop your baby crying, read our tips on Crying, comforting and colic . Dummies: yeah or nay? It’s amazing, really, how much emotion a small piece of plastic can stir up. But it can – and does. Ranged in the 'against dummies, no matter what' corner are, generally speaking, the older generation, mutteringly darkly about bad habits and wonky teeth. Facing them from the 'for dummies, actually' corner are, equally generally speaking, an evangelical crowd of new parents who've finally found the way to get a moment's peace. To save you time sifting through the (occasionally dodgy) claims of either side, here's a quick dummy-debate lowdown... The pros of dummies (maybe) They soothe your baby’s cries when nothing else can.

This is certainly true for some 'sucky' babies who just don't seem to be able to settle any other way. Not for nothing are dummies called pacifiers in the US. They can reduce your baby's risk of cot death . There are indeed studies that shown an association between giving your baby a dummy while he sleeps and a lower risk of cot death. But it's not yet clear whether it's actually the dummy itself that's providing this protective effect or simply the action of sucking (which a baby could do just as well on his fingers or at the breast). They're (eventually) simple to get rid of. Because you can chuck 'em out when the time comes. Which you can't really do with your child's thumb. The cons of dummies (maybe) They are ugly. Granted, they’re no thing of beauty but maybe, like Unfitmother, you can live with that. They make breastfeeding harder. Breastfeeding experts say that giving a very small baby a dummy can cause 'nipple confusion' – because sucking on a dummy is quite different to sucking on a human nipple. And that can make it harder for you to establish breastfeeding.

For this reason, breastfeeding mums are generally advised not to introduce a dummy until their baby is a month old and feeding is going well. They can give your child wonky teeth. True, but only if your child still has a dummy at age five or six when his permanent teeth are coming through. And sucking a thumb can cause tooth-wonkiness, too, of course. They can delay language development. Possibly, but only if your child’s plugged in to it morning, noon, and night. They become such a source of comfort, you’ll have a battle getting your baby to give it up when he’s older. Maybe; maybe not. But if you're desperate to settle your screaming baby, that probably sounds like a good trade. They can cause night-time waking when they fall out of your baby’s mouth. Often true but at least the back-to-sleep solution is close at (your) hand. They are used by lazy mums who can’t be bothered to find out what their baby’s really upset about. A sentiment, it has to be said, that is generally only expressed by people who have yet to attempt to calm their squalling progeny for three ear-splitting hours on the trot.

"This is outrageous, arrogant and downright rude. It is pure snobbery. Dummies are totally harmless and, if anything, they are good for babies, yet they attract such hostility. My son had a dummy and he really, really needed it. And I am really glad I followed his needs and not other people's snobbery when I made choices about his wellbeing." aloha And, as to the whether you should join the dummy-doomsayers corner or the dummy-devotees, we really wouldn't bother fretting because, odds on, the choice isn't going to be yours to make, as this mum explains: "It can go both ways. My daughter used one up until she was about two. I'd actually rather she hadn't but, on many occasions, I was glad that she did. My son has never liked them, which is great for many reasons but there have been lots of occasions when I have wished he would take one. Dummies are neither good nor evil. They are just a choice.

And, generally it's the baby who makes the choice." What to expect at 3-6 months By three months, many babies are managing a good old stretch of night-time sleep (maybe even up to six hours between feeds). Whether you call this 'sleeping through' or not largely depends on your abilities to spin the situation: for every parent who thinks 11pm to 5am is living torture, there's another thinking, 'Result!' (And, very probably, a third who'd give her eye teeth for even half a night like that.) Over the next few months, your baby's sleep habits should start to bed down (as it were) into a more predictable (ok, slightly less chaotic) pattern. She'll gradually start to sleep less in the day (as she becomes more alert and engaged with the world around her) and more at night (as she becomes able to go longer without a feed). At this point, some parents like to get cracking with 'proper' daytime naps and strictly scheduled bedtimes; others prefer to go with the flow for a while longer yet.

Whatever your inclinations, it's definitely worth trying to establish some kind of bedtime ritual to wind your baby down nice and calmly to a good night's sleep. "I think a bedtime routine can really help at this age – and it allows you some free time in the evening, too. By routine, I mean a feed, a bath, a quiet time and a feed, in that order, and at about the same time every night. If your baby wakes or doesn't settle, then you don't take her downstairs again but settle her in or near the cot. This is not controlled crying , which I feel is too much for a baby of this age. It's just establishing a quiet end to the day." Tiktok Of course, getting to sleep calmly doesn't guarantee staying asleep calmly. The average three to six month old may be capable of clocking up six to ten hours a night but all sorts of things can come along to interrupt their slumber. In which case... "If your baby suddenly starts waking again, after having been a good sleeper, don't despair. It could be teething or hunger triggered by a growth spurt.

As long as you're not doing anything to reinforce the waking, like turning on the light or talking to your baby, it'll pass." Jraven "A baby sleeping bag was the answer for us. My baby used to wake himself up moving around and banging his head against the cot but that's stopped now." Carosue What to expect at 6-12 months By six months, most babies are sleeping 11 to 15 hours a day. Of that, about three or four hours is daytime sleep, which they'll usually pool (or can be persuaded to pool) into two decent-length naps , one in the morning and one in the afternoon. This leaves a nice, healthy eight to ten hours for gloriously uninterrupted night-time sleep, slowly increasing to around 11 hours by the age of one (when the two daytime naps will have shortened or gone down to one). So much for the theory. Back in the real world, where theories are just theories and babies are a lovely but unpredictable reality, you may still be struggling to string together even a couple of nights of unbroken sleep. If your baby's still regularly waking in the night, you may want to: Move her to her own room.

"We seemed to be waking our daughter every time we moved or turned over in bed, so we whipped her into her own room. She immediately started sleeping right through." Umberella Cut down/out the milk. "If feeding at night really bugs you and you're really knackered, then don't do it. I always go cold turkey with mine. It takes a couple of nights and then they sleep through. By six or seven months, there really is no need to feed in the night." Kittymaspudding Get tough. If you're up all night, every night and you're beside yourself with exhaustion, you could try controlled crying or one of the other methods of sleep training . "It's not for everyone – and I wouldn't ever use it on a baby under six months – but it worked brilliantly for us." Porpoise Diamond Baby Dummies | eBay Diamond Baby Dummies Beautiful hand made dummy clip from Crystal Bling Baby . Dummy pacifier clip in ivory white. Ivory White Diamonds & Pearls. Take hold of the dummy clip by the loop,thread this loop through the handle ... Condition: Buy it now Free P&P Beautiful hand made dummy clip by Crystal Bling Baby .

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Question: What would an American call a baby's dummy
Answer: A pacifier